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Wyrmwood

wrymwood_brookeThe Zombie genre can feel played out. But Wyrmwood is a nice entry from Australia. Very Gorey with shades of Day of the Dead.

We start off with an action scene with 4 armored men retrieving a truck surrounded by a horde of zombies. We get some flashbacks from a few of them when the zombie outbreak started. One man was forced to kill his family as they turn. Not from being bitten though. From the air itself. His sister gets kidnapped by a pseudo-military outfit and experimented on.

He and his friends make their way to her last known location, not knowing she was taken.

Whatever is in the air reanimating people also does something to flammable liquids like gas that make them no longer flammable. I love their solution around this.

We slowly get to see the effects of the experiments which lead up to the finale of the movie.

Wyrmwood leaves itself open for a sequel, but doesn’t really need one.

Starring: Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey, Leon Burchill, Keith Agius, Berynn Schwerdt, Luke McKenzie, Cain Thompson, Catherine Terracini

Vía Letterboxd – AngryTownsman

Vamp

This is a childhood favorite vampire film for me. It is one of the three vampire films I watched over and over as a kid – including Near Dark and the Lost Boys.

I just picked up the Arrow entertainment blu-ray. It is a huge improvement over the earlier bare bones blu-ray. Other than one brief scene, the entire movie is remastered. It has nice special features, but is missing the commentary that was on the DVD release years back.

Vamp opens with a botched fraternity initiation for Keith and AJ. To get into the fraternity, they promise to procure the services of a stripper for a party later that night. They go to Duncan to barter for the use of one of his cars. The price? They have to pretend to be his friend for a week.

Keith and AJ

Along the way to the strip club, Keith, AJ & Duncan run afoul of an albino gang. After an … interesting … way of getting out of the situation, they manage to get to the club.

snow

While Keith and Duncan are watching “ringside”, AJ is flying solo at the bar. After an odd performance by the owner, Katrina, AJ decides that is the act he wants for the fraternity. As he goes backstage to broker a deal, a waitress, Amaretto, talks up Keith. She mentions remembering him and them having an encounter in the past. All of which Keith does not remember.

Amaretto Keith Duncan

AJ has an intense encounter with Katrina that leads into the guys and Amaretto dodging vampires and the albino gang for the rest of the night.

Vía Letterboxd – AngryTownsman

The Mind’s Eye

Starring: Graham Skipper, Lauren Ashley Carter, John Speredakos, Larry Fessenden, Noah Segan, Matt Mercer, Michael A. LoCicero, Jeremy Gardner, Patrick M. Walsh, Brian Morvant, Josh Ethier, Susan T. Travers, Chuck Doherty

I first heard about the Mind’s Eye on the Trick or Treat Radio podcast. Their non-spoiler review made this a must-see.

This movie is a spiritual sequel to Scanners.

We have telekinetics. Experiments. Head-splodey action. Good acting.

The special effects are outstanding for a movie that is not a high budget affair.

The movie starts out with action and keeps up the supply in a pretty consistent manner throughout the movie.

This does tell a definitive story, but leaves room for a sequel or other stories in this world.

Another movie that comes to mind when I think about this movie is From Beyond. I can’t quite put my finger on why – maybe it’s the scientist falling into his work…

Vía Letterboxd – AngryTownsman